Hikind praises Facebook after Israel added as background option

NY assemblyman thanks Facebook for taking action after discovery that 'Palestine', but not Israel, listed for background profile options.

Arutz Sheva Staff, 06/02/18 18:15

New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind

Office of Assemblyman Hikind

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) expressed his appreciation Tuesday to senior Facebook officials for taking immediate corrective action after he alerted them to the exclusion of Israel as an option for one the social media giant’s features.

Now, following Arutz Sheva’s publication of Hikind’s statement, when creating a background profile on Facebook, users can choose the Israeli flag as their frame.

Earlier this week, Hikind issued a public statement calling on Facebook to include the Israeli flag as an option for background profiles, noting that Palestine, a semi-autonomous entity rather than a state, was included – but not the Jewish state.

“As I pointed out to Facebook less than 48 hours ago, Palestine is not even a country, so including Palestine, as they had, and excluding Israel was insulting and sent the wrong message,” said Hikind on Tuesday.

“I was fairly certain that Facebook’s upper management, and especially CEO Mark Zuckerberg, were unaware of the issue. I am grateful that thanks to our efforts, Facebook has done the right thing—and quickly.”